Strategic Priorities

EORN has created innovative public-private partnerships to address the digital divide and support a stronger future for rural eastern Ontario communities and is supported by the EOWC to address the regional priority of broadband connectivity and cellular enhancement. In addition to this important partnership, we have developed strong, influential relationships with all levels of government including elected officials and staff.

Given our assets and competencies, we are uniquely poised to facilitate and build capacity to support key regional initiatives with our member municipalities, while leveraging economic development opportunities for our business partners and local communities. We have the ability and expertise to work with our 13 counties and their member municipalities, 10 separated municipalities, and six First Nations communities to deliver regional projects to address shared challenges. EORN is experienced in consultation processes with First Nations and Indigenous groups.

Building on experience, EORN will extend its work to strengthen eastern Ontario’s technological capacity and strength. We will evaluate, test, and recommend emerging technologies and, where appropriate, support the introduction of these technologies in eastern Ontario and elsewhere. This includes cyber security, chat bots, digital permitting, and other innovations. This will result in the introduction of technologies that will create efficiencies and security for our stakeholders.

As we move forward, we will continue to actively engage and respond to our diverse partners, government entities, stakeholders, and communities to ensure we are responsive and collaborative in providing value-added support, services and initiatives.

Our strategies for achieving this:

We have a well-established and representative governance structure that is committed to transparency, accountability and impact. Our leadership is competent, capable and committed.

We will continue to build additional organizational capacity to achieve our strategic goals. We will adapt our team structure as we embark on new initiatives and projects and enhance our resources and skill sets as we grow. This includes maintaining and investing in a skilled stable core team to deliver on strategic goals.

We will invest in our leadership and staff teams to succeed through succession, recruitment, retention, professional development, and team building. We will continue to build a learning culture committed to communication, flexibility, innovation, and problem solving in an evolving landscape.

We will continue to build a strong organizational structure with robust policies, procedures, processes, and systems based on legislation and best practices. As we develop and roll out new initiatives, we will ensure we have the research and data systems to support analysis and implementation.

We will strengthen our long-term financial sustainability to support our growth and evolve beyond a project based funding model. This includes funding for a core administrative team and experts to fulfill existing contractual obligations and manage new initiatives.

To achieve this, we will provide value added services that generate consistent revenue to support future growth and impact. This will require in-depth feasibility work and business planning. This area of work will require a significant investment to fulfill.

Our strategies for achieving this:

As EORN completes its Cell Gap Project and expands its focus to encompass additional regional services and projects, it will adapt its marketing and communications to reflect this emerging direction. This will include the internal development of a multi-year communications and marketing plan to promote EORN’s services and celebrate our successes.

As we add new initiatives to our mandate, we will upgrade our marketing collateral and revamp our website. We will additionally promote EORN’s consulting experience and expertise on the website to generate additional potential business. We will use interactive online engagement strategies to draw traffic to our site to enable people to access information.

A key target audience includes industrial stakeholders, municipal, provincial, federal staff and politicians with an objective of having them recognize and endorse EORN as a go-to leader and expert that provides solutions at a regional level, on behalf of the EOWC and EOMC. To support this, we will continue to advocate and promote the significant impact we have in the region.

Our strategies for achieving this:

Develop and implement a marketing and communications strategy and plan that supports EORN’s strategic priorities.

Champion and advocate to create opportunities and enable positive transformation for eastern Ontario aligned to EORN’s priorities.